MEETINGS AND OPINIONS OF THE INTERNS
During the training we, participants of the course “Education in the field of human rights and rights of indigenous peoples” met representatives of executive and legislative branches of government, public organizations, and the brightest meetings we want to cover in this issue of informational bulletin.
The meeting with the head of the State Labor Control Agency in the Altai Republic Sergey Kravtsov was one of the most interesting and useful. Before none of us knew that in the Republic such a necessary nowadays structure exists. The Labor Control Agency of a service on labor and employment, and its functions include:
• state supervision and control of observing Russian labor legislation with the aim to provide protection of labor rights of citizens, including the right on secure labor conditions on the territory of the Altai Republic;
• investigates in approved order accidents at works, analyses their reasons and develops proposals to prevent such accidents;
• considers in accordance with Russian legislation cases of administrative offences;
• informs corresponding state authority and local self-governmental bodies on the facts of breaches of RF laws about labor and labor protection;
• participates in work on law education, distribution of knowledge on observing RF legislation about labor and labor protection;
• summarizes and analyses experience of application of Russian laws on labor and labor protection;
• consults individuals (on the territory of the organization as well), considers their applications, complaints and other appeals on breaches of their labor rights;
• prepares and submits in approved order reports on results of activity of the Agency, reports and reviews on observing RF legislation on labor and labor protection to the Ministry of Labor of the Russian Federation;
The members of the staff have the rights:
1. freely, at any time of day or night, with the certificate of a certain form, to visit any organization with the aim to hold an inspection;
2. in approved order check and investigate reasons of breaches of RF laws on labor;
3. inquire and receive free of charge documents, explanations, information necessary for implementation of their authorities from heads and other employees of organizations, executive authority bodies, local self-government bodies, employers (their representatives);
4. to give employers necessary for execution prescriptions on removing breaches of laws of the Russian Federation about labour, on restoring violated rights of people, attract those guilty in violations to disciplinary liability or dismiss them from their position in established order;
5. to call to administrative liability in established by the Russian legislation order persons guilty in breaking laws of the Russian Federation about labour;
6. on results of revisions to submit materials on the facts of breaches of laws of the Russian Federation about labour in law-enforcement bodies about calling guilty persons to criminal liability, as well as to submit suits to the court.
Many thanks to Sergey Leonidovich for warm reception which lasted more than an hour during which the participants could ask questions and receive qualified answers.
Galina Tuimesheva
Irina Solodukha
Meeting with Evgeny Veselovsky
Meeting with Evgeny Veselovsky, member of the staff of Ecological Center of Gorno-Altaisk State University, was held in a friendly and free atmosphere. Evgeny told us how he headed the Club “Guardians of the Lake” when he worked in Altai State Nature Reserve in the department of Ecological Education. The members of the Club were children of Yailu village. Then Evgeny worked with children of Gorno-Altaisk cooperating with the association of disabled from childhood and the Commission on the Affairs of the Under Age, these were disabled children, children of group of risk and from orphanage. With financial support of the administration of Gorno-Altaisk, children of these groups were taken on the Teletskoye Lake to summer camps. Children were rehabilitating though touching the nature, which gave them physical health and spiritual wealth.
Last year Evgeny published a book “The Lake and Children”, the content of which is about ecological education implying forming unity of mentality and behavior in harmony with the nature. The book caused interest of members of the Ministry of Domestic Affairs of the Russian Federation. They decided to include this experience in the strategy of development of the Youth Policy of Russia. On the question, “What’s your attitude to creation of Nature Parks on the side of the Teletskoye Lake and on the banks of the Biya River from the source to Altaisky Kray?” Evgeny replied, “This is a good idea. Of course, nature needs to be saved in its original state, but humans also need to be educated ecologically, and in this case the problem of protection of nature will fall off.
Before saying good bye, Evgeny promised to keep in touch with the Center, share experience, and we, in our turn, wished him creative success, new ideas and initiatives.
Galina Tuimesheva
Oksana Tuimesheva
ARTICLES OF THE INTERNS
DEADLOCK CONDITION
(or why the gods are so angry with Yailu and its people)
Oh, heavens! I can’t find the words to describe the beauty of my motherland, for centuries being glorified by poets, writers, narrators. This is a magic paradise on earth! I can’t stop admiring emerald forests, azure peaks of giant mountains stretching to the sky height clear to ringing in ears. To be delighted by crystal purity of water of our lakes, hear joyful purling of big and small mountain rivers, follow the majestic roar of cascade waterfalls. All these are my Motherland – my Altai! And among this beauty there is a corner dear to my heart and loved endlessly – this is Yailu village. It settled on a picturesque terrace on the side of the magic lake Teletskoye.
In 1932 by the Gods will and foresight of people, who happened to be in time in needed place, our Yailu village became the central settlement of Altai State Nature Reserve. For all these long years (with short breaks, as the nature reserve closed twice), up to 2004 Administration of the reserve was placed in Yailu, shared the destiny, the problems and success of the village. Wives of the staff of the forest department (which is the main artery of work of the nature reserve) worked in bookkeeping and field of education (kindergarten, school). And nobody felt indifferent to the affairs and work of the nature reserve. Any time you could come to the director either with a question or with problems, suggestions, and all the cases were solved on place.
The present director Vyacheslav Trigubovich moved the administration to Gorno-Altaisk. He formed the team of administration of the nature reserve from people living in the city. I can’t say anything bad about those people, but they are far from the specific of work of the nature reserve, our problems, interests and other social issues are alien to them. I should say that for the last two years he has changed 5-6 chief accountants, 4 personnel inspectors, 3 deputy directors of the scientific department.
The administration of the nature reserve doesn’t wish to solve the problems of the nature reserve, let alone the population of the village. It’s painful to see how it has fallen into decay. Buildings, property of the nature reserve are in terrible condition, for a long time already it needs total repair, all the fences are rotten and ramshackle. Earlier people received fencing at the expense of the nature reserve and they mended their fences themselves. The road along the village is in a poor condition, the director doesn’t think to repair it. Last summer, when in result of storm rainfalls the road was destroyed, by the initiative of the community the male part of the population came to repair it with crowbars and shovels. And somehow rebuilt it in grandfather’s way. It is remarkable that the only representative of the administration of the nature reserve living in Yailu didn’t support the men, didn’t offer any equipment. For the second year bridges across the rivers washed away by high water have not been reconstructed, people get from one bank to another over temporary bridges, which they constructed themselves.
On the basis of the Federal Law “About General Principles of Establishment of Communities of Small Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation” we created a community in the village, which included not only indigenous peoples, but all the villagers who wished. The community is headed by a very energetic and purposeful woman Olga Chalbina. Many ideas and affairs she initiated, which she wants to implement with us, the members of the community. We are not going to do traditional activities of our ancestors (fishery, hunting, etc.), as Yailu is located on a nature territory under special protection where such kinds of activities are forbidden. For the third generation people of Yailu are living at the nature reserve and imbibed with their mothers’ milk the rules of living on reserved lands. One of the purposes of our community is to restore, renew a small part of a fruit garden, which on the Yailu terrace covers more than fifty hectares and fell into decay. By the way, gardens are located in economy zone of the village. But even in this case we face misunderstanding and refuse of the administration of the nature reserve, in particular of Mr. Trigubovich. Is it a bureaucracy? Or biased attitude to indigenous people or population of Yailu in whole? But what are all these questions for, it is enough to look at the lists of the reserve staff from local population working before Mr. Trigubovich came to the administration and during his management. And nobody knows when this deadlock will finish at least. We want to believe that soon either Mr. Trigubovich change his views or the administration of the nature reserve will change, who will be aware of all the painful problems of the village, its population and the nature reserve in whole. Time will show.
Galina Tuimesheva
Ecological Problem of Waters of Turochak Region and Neighboring Territories
My name is Oksana, I’m from Kel-Chat clan. I was born and grew in Iogach village located on the lakeside of a mysterious Teletskoye Lake. Why have I chosen this theme? In my opinion, this is one of the most important problems of Turochak region and villages standing on the banks of the wonderful Teletskoye Lake and beautiful rivers. And I think, Turochak region is placed in one of the most picturesque places in the world.
Everybody knows with what success tourism flourishes on the banks of the Teletskoye Lake and river Biya. From different cities, regions and from all over the world people are eager to come to admire our scenic places, to go along the lake and river. It gives a push to successful development of water tourism including traveling by motorboats, cutters, yachts, which pollute the lake and the river, and we drink this water, our children most of their time in summer spend in water. From year to year more and more new diseases are found. I mean, water pollution directly influence the health of the people, and what is more important, the children.
It’s painful when you come to our beautiful places and see heaps of litter where our “dear guests” rested. And if the tourism goes on developing at such a high rate, we will lose the best what we have. We see how many people come to our area, buy lands, build them over and make good profit of our wealth. Soon all our lakesides will be filled with buildings of the visitors, and we won’t be able to enjoy the beauty of our rivers, lake and with the nature in whole. With tourism flourishing, pollution of lakes, rivers, nature will flourish as well.
With joint efforts we should protect our nature, lands which belonged to our ancestors, who worshiped the spirits of the Teletskoye Lake, of a powerful cedar, mountains and so on. From my point of view, this is all what is left of them. Although we are forgetting our culture, language, traditions, customs, at least our most beautiful places must be saved, if not in the primordial state, but something has been left.
The government of the Russian Federation has passed the law “About Free Economical Area”, which provides development of active tourism on the territories of the Altai Republic, and in particular in Chemal and Maima regions. In this connection a big flow of tourists will come, and this will not make a good influence on our region. Everybody knows very well how tourism affected the Aya Lake in Maima Region; in the past that was a wonderful clean lake, and now? Taking into consideration this example, we should think thoroughly about the future of our rivers and lakes, and not only we should do that, but the authorities, who have direct relation to passing such laws which allow different activities.
At present many organizations, associations, government as well are working on saving indigenous peoples, this also refers to Turochak region. Taking into account this fact, we can contribute to saving untouched lands. If we don’t use this chance, there will come people who will find how to use our lands. The tourist centers will create their own rights, pollute the environment, and we won’t be able to come to the lakeside, admire the nature, breathe fresh forest air as before.
Instead, we will have to see how visitors are resting, how they are polluting our nature.
Let’s stop wasting our wealth, and protect our lands and use them for the goodness of our children and our aboriginal population. We should show people, that our nature is useful not only for earning money, but for other good things, it’s better to combine pleasant things with useful ones.
Maybe we construct some health complex for children and adults, which will include different entertaining programs, hiking for children, etc. And soon everybody will feel the taste of gracious nature, clean air, wonderful healthy waters, and even the arriving guests will start to respect our nature.
I think that only we, the aboriginal people, can protect our nature, beautiful waters and make vivid the main earmarking of our wealth. If we learn to love and respect our nature, others will follow our example.
Oksana Tuimesheva
Life of Students of the Altai Republic in Saint Petersburg
In 2003 I entered the State Polar Academy of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and the far East in Saint Petersburg.
The State Polar Academy was established in 1997. The Academy concludes contracts with executive authority bodies on giving target places to indigenous representatives. I, as a representative of Telengit people, entered on competitive basis the faculty of State Municipal Management.
10 to 12 target places are given to our republic annually. In Saint Petersburg students from our republic studied at the Institute of Cinema and Television, Bonch-Bruyevich’s University of Telecommunications, the University of Technologies and Design and others.
Every year zemlyachestvo of our republic held the ceremony of initiation of the students from Altai. Far from their houses zemlyachestvo gave sufficient and essential support for the freshmen of all universities of Saint Petersburg. Every week we held interesting parties, meetings, competitions. Fellow-countrymen from senior courses introduced us all the places of interest of this historical city. We visited museums, exhibitions, theatres, visited concerts of many famous people.
Our academy as the only institute for indigenous peoples in Russia is under protection of UNESCO, one of the founders of the Academy is the President of France Jacques Chirac. The students of Philological Faculty of the State Polar Academy take internship in France from one to three months. The Academy gives different privileges, scholarships, bonuses for indigenous representatives. Unfortunately, our Telengit people are not officially recognized as Telengits, because in our birth-certificates we are registered as Altai people, that’s why we cannot use the privileges. Many students from other regions of Russia have the possibility to meet, solve problems, receive consultations, etc. in their representative offices in Saint Petersburg. We, the students from the Altai Republic, solve problems of our countrymen by common efforts.
Every year the students from Altai prepare and carry out national holidays, such as Chaga-Bairam, Nauryz. On these events the students invite administration of the Academy, students from other institutes.
It is very interesting to study among representatives of different ethnic groups. Due to learning at the State Polar Academy I knew the culture, everyday activity and traditions of many peoples of our country. I’m grateful to my fortune to have the possibility to study at such an interesting institute located in one of the most beautiful cities of Russia.
Irina Sadukova
About My Native Village Kurai and Experience of Work of Our Community
“We should create
favourable conditions
ourselves”
N.Enkelmann
Psychologist
I came from the remotest region of our republic – Kurai village of Kosh-Agach Region. I’m Telengit from clan Orgonchy. The name of Kurai village means belted half-moon (in translation from the Telengit language “Kur” is a belt and “Ai” is a half-moon). Kurai was founded in 1901. Next to it there is a Kyzyl Tash village – Red Stone. From the northern side there is a Chuya Ridge, from the southern – covered with eternal glaciers the highest peaks Ak-Tru and Majoy-Bajy. The climate is very severe here, the temperature in winter falls to -50˚C. Nowadays these two villages form a Municipal Entity Kurai Rural Settlement. The population, according to the data of last population census of 2002, is 525 people in Kurai and 849 people in Kyzyl-Tash. The main population are Telengits, also there are some Russian and Kazakh families.
From ancient times local population is occupied with following activities: cattle-farming, agriculture. Nearby a big river Chuya and a number of small rivers are flowing, there are a lot of lakes and healing springs (Arjan-Soo). At the foothills of Ak-Tru mountain there is an alpinists’ camp. A lot of visitors from different countries come here: alpinists, tourists, hang- and paragliders, there are also international and Russian competitions on hang- and paragliding. My land is rich with forests, the predominant trees are cedar and larch, with berries and mushroom places, as well as with fauna and cultural heritage (tumuli, “Kezer-Tash”, “Oole” and others).
In soviet times on our fields people grew agricultural crops: wheat, oats, barley, legumes. But after the falling down of the Soviet Union, everything has stopped, collective farms broke up, economy fell into decay. In our village for 35 years a geological exploration team was working. They mined and processed minerals, and in 1990s this team was moved to Altaisky Kray to Osinniki village. All lands and objects were given for management of the Village Council of People’s Deputies, and after that to the village administration of Kurai. With destroy of the collective farm a lot of people stayed unemployed.
In 2001 we knew about passing the Federal Law about rights of indigenous peoples. Having learned from our brothers Tubalars, Chelkans, Kumandins that they establish communities, we decided to create our own. Of course, we couldn’t avoid difficulties, as we faced misunderstanding and disagreement from the side of authorities. Having joined our efforts in 2002, on the legal basis we organized an indigenous community of Telengits “Kaan-Kurai”. After the Federal Law No 131 from 06/10/2003 came into force in Kurai Rural Settlement, the deputies – elected representatives of people, passed the Statutes setting definite separation of branches of local self-governmental bodies. This means that in comparison with other settlements of the republic, in Kurai Rural Settlement a representative and an executive-distributive local self-governmental bodies are functioning. I want to tell about some decisions important for public, made by the Village Council of Deputies of Kurai Rural Settlement – a legal person, the activity of which is headed by a chairman, a well-known singer, performer of heroic tales, an Honored Artist of the Altai Republic A. Tadykin.
In 2006 on the application of the indigenous community of Telengits Kaan-Kurai in the person of O. Yeldepov and Telengit zaisan of Kosh-Agach Region A. Yedeshov, the Rural Council of Deputies made a decision from 19/07/2006 No 72 “About establishing a territory of traditional landuse on all the territory of Kurai Rural Settlement”, and basing of articles 2, 72, 69, 9, 15, 18 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation and the Federal Law “About guarantees of rights of small indigenous peoples”, Federal Law “About Territories of Traditional Landuse” of indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East, as well as part 28 of article 4 of the Statute of the Settlement, a Territory of Traditional Landuse of local significance was established.
At the beginning it caused a skeptical attitude of the higher regional authority. But when the work on technical service of gas pipeline “Altai” started, everybody understood, that establishment of the territory of traditional landuse was in time. Also with support of communities of the settlement, the Council of Deputies allotted a land plot for recreative activity where international hang-gliding and paragliding competitions are held annually.
The Council of Deputies of Kurai Rural Settlement advanced an initiative of establishent of regional territory of traditional landuse. Now the propaganda of healthy life, sustainable development of customs, traditions and national culture is being carried out.
For all these things we are thankful to the deputy of the State Meeting El-Kurultai of the Altai Republic U. Knyazev for information and constant legal help.
In this article I shared the experience of our community, the activity of which, in my opinion, gave positive results. I would be glad to share the experience in the field of establishment of territories of traditional landuse in other regions with everybody.
Albert Kurtin
Arjan-Soo
Kuray – that’s how my village is called, surrounded by rocky mountains. For decades it attracts attention by its healing springs, wide steppe, glaciers, rapid rivers.
I want to tell about the springs known by their healing properties and which we use so seldom lately. “Arjan-Soo” – that’s how people call healing springs, and they are also called according to their geographical location. Each of them has its own destination, they help people with different diseases. Depending on the age of a person, he goes to take cure to a certain spring. There are special baths built for people coming for curing. The springs are considered sacred, each of them has its own spirit.
Before they start healing, people perform cult rituals, and on the sacred territories some bans should be observed. For example, it is forbidden to kill insects, animals, pick flowers, etc., as it is believed that the spirit of a spring can be embodied in any thing or body. On no account one can take away anything from the territory. At the first night spent near the spring almost every person has a dream though which he/she can know whether this healing help him/her or not. Some of the springs cannot be approached after the sunset, one cannot make noise nearby, talk smut on its territory. These springs are told that their spirit is sleeping, and if you awake them you won’t avoid disaster.
On the territory of Kuray settlement there is an Arjan-Soo – Kuraychi, which in translation from the Telengit language means “inside Kuray”. Kuraychi is considered the navel of all healing springs in Altai. It cures all diseases and especially helps young, that’s why it is thought a savior of the young. For example, my father’s aunt was born without any pathology, but very weak. Until she was seven, she couldn’t walk, and one of the days her mother brought the girl to the spring, she prayed the spirits to help her daughter stand on feet. And on the fifth day the daughter with joyful yell was running down the mountain.
And there are lots of such cases, Arjan-Soo helps everybody believing its healing power, but you should remember that excessive treating can make reverse result.
One more unique spring on the territory of Kuray is Baka. Baka in translation means “toad”. It is called so, because on the mountain, at the foothill of which the spring is lying, clear contour of a lying toad can be seen. I’ve never been in that place, but people say on that land different kinds of trees are growing (fruit trees and bushes), which were brought there by people and stroke roots despite severe local climate.
With development of industry, science and technologies our atmosphere is catastrophically getting more and more polluted each year, different mutations are happening in biosphere. In my opinion, everybody should make effort for saving primeval state of these places, and if not to make personal efforts, just not to pollute them at least.
Angela Yedeshova
Firmness of My Colleagues
The culture of Altai people is unique and diverse with its customs and traditions.
The art of guttural singing (kai) has been saved by Altai people from ancient times till present, there is no analogue to this unique art, when kaichi can tell during day and night heroic tales and eposes with such kinds of guttural singing as Koomei, Kargyra, Sybysky.
Among musical instruments, the most popular in Altai is a two-stringed “topshuur”; very close to “topshuur” by its construction is “ikili” instrument; there is also a many-stringed musical instrument like a horizontal harp – “d’adagan”; a very popular instrument is a reed instrument “komus”; “shoor” belongs to wind instruments (a kind of lateral flute); an instrument called “sybysky” is close to a wind instrument; the hunting “amyrgy” is used for attracting roe-deer; an exceptionally cult percussion instrument is a tambourine “tyungur” used by shamans while ritual of kamlanye.
For prosperity of Altai cilture, the status of the Altai Republic promoted development of folklore as well.
The Altai Republic has become an independent region, which inspired self-consciousness of the people, different folk groups began reviving and forming.
In 1986, for the first time in the republic, a national folk ensemble “Altai” under leadership of Vladimir Konchev was founded. Among the staff of the ensemble such outstanding artists as K. Malchiyev, A. Tyurunkin, N. Shumarov, A. Aktelova, B. Bairyshev., G. Tovarov, K. Maimanov, Zh. Endokova worked. I’m a very happy person, as I was lucky to work close to these masters. The ensemble was one of the first guides of Altai folklore on the stage. Works of well-known Altai composers, such as A. Toziyakova, B. Shulgina were performed with all national instruments.
The group gladdened their audience performing different programs, wedding ritual, ritual for a newborn baby, showing a heroic epos “Ochi-Bala”. The ensemble visited New Zealand, Turkey, Mongolia, Latvia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and neighboring republics of Tyva, Khakasya and other regions of our great Russia.
But the most grateful and faithful audience were usual workers of the republic, especially heartily we were met by herders (there was a story, one herder for the first time in 48 years of his life saw our concert, he was touched so deep in his soul, he cried and thanked, inviting us with the concert in his camp).
The ensemble in its time gave their audience a push for spiritual and cultural growth. The staff of the “Altai” ensemble had its modest 20th anniversary recently. Its staff is 10 people. The ensemble is alive and will go on living, because firm people are working there, they have overcome long and thorny path, with their difficulties of life. So much time has come, but half of the team is still living in the same godforsaken, beggarly hostels. I want to give an example, in Khakasya Republic ensemble “Ulger” and in Tyva Republic ensemble “Sayany”, I know these groups very well, my friends and group-mates from student life are working there. The artists are appreciated there, when young specialists come. They are given hostels with good conditions, the administration is interested in the future destiny of every artists, in giving them their own accommodation. It is a respect for an artist, isn’t it? Yes, an artists is needed everywhere to everybody, he is needed to perform during opening of a bank, during elections, everywhere. Despite everything, an artists performs, not sparing his power and health, in cold clubs, where the size of a stage is 2x3 m, trying to show his skills. They don’t miss any small village, giving the countrymen joy and part of their warmth. After the performance, an artist, like everybody, returns to his “dwelling”.
The jubilee concert of the “Altai” ensemble showed, that the group is alive, it exists. We want to believe and hope, that this group will be supported and appreciated. The ensemble has its future, this is their younger generation…
We want to remark, that the core of the ensemble who have worked for over 15 years are: G. Tovarov, K. Maimanov, Yu. Chendyev, L. Kukakova, S. Maichikova. I would like to wish my colleagues to cheer up, to wish love, family happiness, and God give you all health.
Ayas Chendyeva
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